Transcript Taxonomy - Edublogs

Taxonomy
The science of naming
organisms.
Carolus Linnaeus
Described organisms with two word
names, instead of polynomials
 Developed binomial nomenclature
 First word = genus name
 Second word = species name

Why binomial nomenclature?
Much easier than a 10+ word name
under old “polynomial system”
 Same name no matter where you go
 Less confusion
 Binomial = SCIENTIFIC NAME

Scientific Names You Need to
Know
Homo sapiens
 Canis lupus
 Felis domesticus
 Pan pan

 Always
written with Genus name
capitalized, species name is lowercase.
 Either italicized or underlined.
Taxonomic hierarchy
Names organisms and their
relationships from very broad to very
specific
 Changes with additional evidence
(DNA).

All organisms classified in a
hierarchy
Domain(broadest)
 Kingdom
 Phylum
 Class
 Order
 Family
 Genus
 Species (most specific)

Notes assignment:

Look up the classification for humans
for all seven hierarchies and write into
your notebook.
What is a species?

Biological species concept
– A group of actually or potentially breeding
natural groups that are reproductively
isolated from other groups.
» Ernst Mayr, 1924

Problems
– Hybrids
• Sterile offspring of two different species
– Asexual organisms
How many are out there?

Scientists currently estimate that
– There are 10 million species worldwide
– Over 5 million live in the tropics
– Most unnamed species are small or
microscopic
Why is taxonomy useful?
Helps prevent confusion among
scientists
 Helps to show how organisms are
related
 Can be used to reconstruct
phylogenies – evolutionary histories –
of an organism or group

The 3 Domain System
The 6 kingdoms

Prokaryotes (Used to be 1 kingdom,
Monera)
1. Archaebacteria
2. Eubacteria

Eukaryotes
3. Fungi
4. Protista
5. Animal
6. Plantae
Overview of the 6 kingdoms
1. Archaebacteria
– Unicellular
– Live in extreme environments
– Prokaryotic
2. Eubacteria
– Unicellular
– Prokaryotic
– “Common bacteria”
Overview of the 6 kingdoms
3. Protista
– Eukaryotic
– Unicellular or colonial
– Lots of different life styles
4. Fungi
– Cell walls made of chitin
– Eukaryotic
– Multicellular
– External heterotrophs
Overview of the 6 kingdoms
5. Plantae
– Eukaryotic & Multicellular
– Cell walls made of cellulose
– Autotrophic
6. Animalia
– Eukaryotic & Multicellular
– No cell walls
– Internal heterotrophs